Relasting machine



Aug. 20, 1946.

H. J. wlLJLMoT-r RELASTING MACHINE Filed July 3l, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet l AUG 20, l940- H. J. wlLLMoTT 2,211,804

RELASTING MACHINE .Filed July 5l, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Aug. 20, 1.940

UNITED STATES BELASTING MACHINE Jersey Application July 31, 1939, Serial No. 287,541

12 Claims.

I'his invention relates to relasting machines and is herein illustrated and described as embodied in a treadle-operated relasting machine of the type disclosed in an application for United States Letters Patent Serial No. 199,879, filed April 4, 1938 in the name of Jacob Si. Kamborian. The machine disclosed herein like the machine disclosed in that application is provided with a support for the heel portion of the bottom of the shoe into which a last has been partially inserted and also with an abutment engageable with the top surface of the last and movable by a treadle mechanism to force the last down into the shoe. Likewise the present machine is provided with a horn adapted to be positioned between the heel end of the shoe and the last and to be withdrawn during the seating of the last within the shoe.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved machine of the type under consideration. In acco-rdance with a feature of the invention the illustrated machine is provided with a pulley sector, and with a flexible, substantially inextensible connection engaging the periphery of the pulley sector and attached at one end to the horn and at the other end to the pulley sector, the treadle mechanism being connected to the pulley sector for rotating the latter to withdraw the horn from between the shoe and the last. The illustrated machine is provided also with an arrangement for adjusting the travel of the horn relatively to that of the abutment which presses downwardly upon the top surface of the last, and with an improved operating mechanism.

These and other features of the invention including details of construction and the arrangement of parts will now be more particularly described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which Fig. l is a side elevation of the` improved machine;

Fig. 2 is a plan view to an enlarged scale of the upper portion of the machine shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a front elevation showing the shoe engaging members shortly after the beginning of the operation; and

Fig. 4 is a front elevation showing the operating members after the last has been seated within the shoe.

The operating members of the illustrated machine comprise a shoe suppo-rt II! engageable with the heel end of the bottom of a shoe S (Fig. 3), an abutment I2 engageable with the top surface at the rear portion of a last L and a horn I4 adapted at the beginning of the operation to be interposed between the rear portion of the shoe upper and the heel end of the last. The support Iii consists of a rubber pad secured upon a metal support which in turn is mounted for tilting movement upon a pivot pin I6. The support I0 is yieldably maintained in an upright position, with the principal portion of its shoe supporting surface horizontal, by a spring I8 loosely coiled around the pivot pin I6 and having its two upwardly extending end portions hooked in opposite directions over a transverse pin I9 (Fig. 3)

secured in the support I9. The pivot pin I6 is mounted in a member 2! having a transverse pin 2l extending between the upstanding end portions of the spring I 8 to prevent turning of the coiled portion of spring about the pivot pin I5. The member 2G has a threaded depending stem 22 which passes freely through a vertical bore formed in a supporting member 24. A key 2t (Fig. 1) engaging a slot in the stem 22 prevents turning of the support Ill. The heightwise position of the support Ill is adjustably determined by a nut 28 threaded upon the stem 22 and resting upon the upper surface of the supporting member 24.

The abutment I2 is pivotally mounted for tilting movement upon a pin 3l] carried at the lower end of a slide 32, the axes of the pins I6 and 39 being parallel to each other and transverse to the shoe to be operated upon. The horn I4 is detachably secured by a snap hook 34 to the lower end of a iiexible substantially inextensible connection in the form of a strap 36. The machine is provided with a treadle 38 depression of which will urge the abutment I2 downwardly to seat the last L within the shoe Si while at the same time withdrawing the horn I4 from between the shoe and the last. The machine as so far described, except for the arrangement of the spring I8, is similar to that disclosed in the above mentioned application, Serial No. 199,879.

The supporting structure of the illustrated machine comprises a base 49 (Fig. 1) in which is mounted a fulcrum pin 42 for the treadle 38. Rising from the base 40 is a hollow column 44, andl clamped upon the upper portion of the column 44 with provision for heightwise adjustment is a head 4t of which the supporting member 24 is a part.y The upper portion of the head 46 comprises a frame having a pair of parallel walls 48 connected together by webs such as the web til shown in Fig. 2, to provide alined upper and lower vertical guideways for the slide 32 which is retained in the guideways by a cover plate 50. Connecting the walls 48 at their upper rear portions is a pin 52 surrounded by a spacer bushing 53 (Fig. 2) upon which is pivotally mounted a link i! depending between the walls. The lower end of the link 54 is pivotally connected to the rear end of a lever 56 the forward end of which lever is pivotally connected to the slide 32 by a pin 58. Depending from the lever 56 is an operating rod 60 surrounded by a coiled compression spring 62. The upper end of the spring 62 abuts a collar S4 adjustably secured upon the rod 8!! while the lower end of the spring 62 rests upon a washer which in turn bears against a shelf 6G which is integral with the head 46. The spring 62 normally holds the rod 60 up to maintain the relasting mechanism in a position of readiness for operation, which position is determined by a stop G'I carried by the slide 32 and engageable with the lower edge of the upper guideway. Pivotally connected at its lower end to the treadle 38 by a pin 65 is a tubular rod 69. The lower portion of the rod 5E! extends downwardly through a slot in the shelf 58 and telescopes within the rod 69. A pair of set screws lI threaded through a collar 'i3 welded to the tubular rod 69 serve to secure the rod 60 adjustably to the rod 69. This arrangement enables the eiective combined length of the rods 66 and SS to be adjusted to accommodate changes in the heightwise adjustment of the head i6 on the frame i4 without disturbing the adjusted compression of the spring 62 as determined by the collar S4. The above-mentioned slot in the shelf 66 enables the rod 60 to swing about the axis of the pin B5 as occasioned by the lever 56 swinging about the pin 58.

Also connecting the anges 0.8 is a pin G3 upon which is rotatably mounted a pulley sector IQ and also upon which is fulcrumed a lever l2. Formed in the pulley sector 70 is a slot 'lll concentric with the axis of the pin 68. A clamping screw threaded into a boss TI formed on the lever i2 has a shoulder 'I8 which engages a raised surface i9 adjacent to the edges of the slot 'it to bind the sector against the boss on the lever. The screw 'I6 is provided with a hand wheel 8G to facilitate adjustment. It is evident that by loosening the screw 'IS the angular position of the sector i8 about the axis of the pin 58 may be varied relatively to that of the lever 12. Connecting the lever 56 to the lever 'I2 is a linl; 82. The upper end of the strap 36V is secured to the upper radial portion of the sector 'I 0, the strap extending down and over the circular periphery of the sector between a pair of guide flanges 83 (Fig. 2) formed on the sector. An angular metal clip 34 secured upon the sector by a set screw 85 holds the strap rmly at the locality where the strap makes an abrupt turn from the radial edge to the periphery of the sector. Carried by the cover plate 50 is a guide member 85 covered with rubber tubing for rcstraining the strap 36 against excessive whipping movement when the horn I4 leaves the shoe. Formed in the lever 55 are a plurality of holes l@ for providing alternative connections for thc link Sii thereby to enable the effective length of the lever to be varied. Also formed in the lever S are additional holes 90 which provide alternative connections to the link 82, thus enabling the angular movement of the sector 'I0 to be varied relatively to the travel of the slide 32.

The abutment I2 differs from the abutment disclosed in the above mentioned application, Serial No. 199,879 in being provided with a pair of depending lugs 92 engageable with the opposite sides of the last L to prevent relative lateral movement between the last and the abutment.

In operating the machine the last L is inserted as far as convenient by hand into the shoe S and the shoe S is placed upon the support I0. The operator now interposes the horn Ill between the heel end of the shoe and the heel end of the last and depresses the treadle 38 which forces the last into the shoe and at the same time withdraws the horn 5:3 from between the shoe and the last. The shoe support lll should be adjustedv by turning the nut 28, to such a level as to cause the abutment I2 to begin its operation without excessive waste movement upon depression of the treadle. Adjustment of the initial heightwise position of the horn I 4 is effected by loosening the screw 76 and moving it into desired position before clamping it to the lever l2. This adjustment should be made to bring the lower end of the horn just above the bottom of the inside of the shoe, about as shown in Fig. 3. The link 5t should be attached to the lever 56 at one or another of the holes 88 to utilize substantially the full throw of the treadle (which should be close to the floor at the completion of the operation) and thereby to secure the greatest mechanical advantage for the particular type of shoe to be operated upon, inasmuch as the required movement of the last-engageable member I2 will be greater for some shoes than for others. The travel of the horn should be adjusted by connecting the link 82 to the leven.` 5S at one of the holes 9U, the particular hole being selected with reference to the type of shoe to cause the horn to leave the shoe just before the completion of the seating of the last. Removal of the horn at this time relieves the shoe of strain. The above-described arrangement of the spring I8 for holding the shoe support t0 yieldably in a normal position from which it may tilt in both directions about an axis transverse to the shoe has been found also to relieve the shoe of unnecessary strain during the seating of the last.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A relasting machine comprising a pair of members engageable respectively with the heel portion of the bottom of a shoe into which a last has been partially inserted and with the top surace of the rear portion of the last, a treadle, and a connection from said treadle to one of said members for eiecting a relative compression between said members upon operation of the treadle to force the last into the shoe, said connection being constructed and arranged to provide lor adjustment of the travel of said one member relatively to the throw of the trcadle to enable a maximum mechanical advantage to be obtained foreach type of shoe operated upon.

2. A relasting machine comprising a pair of members engageable respectively with the heel portion of the bottom of a shoe into which a last has been partially inserted and with the top surface oi the rear portion of the last, means for exerting a relative compression between said members to force the last into the shoe, a horn adapted to be interposed between the heel end of the shoe upper and the last to assist in seating the last within the shoe, and a connection between said horn and said compression-exerting means for causing the horn to withdraw from between the shoe and the last, said connection being constructed and arranged to provide for --adjus'tment of the travel of the horn to insure withdrawal of the'hornjust before the completion of the seating ofthe last within the shoe.

3. A relasting machine comprising a pair of members engageable respectively with the heel portion of the bottom of a shoe into which a last has been partially inserted and with the top surface of the rear portion of the last, means for exerting a relative compression between said members tc force the last into the shoe, a horn adapted to be interposed between the heel end of the shoe upper and the last to assist in seating the last within the shoe, a pulley sector, a flexible substantially inextensible connection attached at one end to said horn and at the other end to said pulley sector, said flexible connection engaging the periphery of said pulley sector, and a connection from said compression-exerting means to said pulley sector for rotating said pulley sector to withdraw the horn from between the shoe and the last during the seating of the last within the shoe.

4. A relasting machine comprising a pair of operating members engageable respectively with the heel portion of the bottom of a shoe into which a last has been partially inserted and with the top surface of the rear portion of the last, a lever, an operating connection between said lever and one of said members, means for swinging said lever to move one of said members toward the other member to force the last into the shoe, a horn adapted to be interposed between the heel end of the shoe upper and the last to assist in seating the last within the shoe, a lever carrying a pulley sector, a flexible relatively inextensible connection attached at one end to said horn and at the other end to said pulley sector, said flexible connection engaging the periphery of said pulley sector, a connection between said levers for rotating said pulley sector to withdraw the horn from between the shoe and the last during the seating of the last within 'the shoe, and means for attaching the second-mentioned connection to one of said levers at various distances from the fulcrum. of that lever to adjust the travel of the horn relatively to that of said movable operating member.

5. A relasting machine comprising a support for the heel portion of the bottom of a shoe into which a last has been partially inserted, an abutment engageable with the top surface of the rear portion of the last, a lever, a treadle, a connection from said treadle for operating said lever, a connection from said lever to said abutment for moving the abutment toward the support upon depression of the treadle to seat the last in the shoe, a horn adapted to be interposed between the heel end of the shoe upper and the last to assist in seating the last within the shoe, a pulley sector, a iiexible relatively inextensible connection attached at one end to said horn and at the other `end to said pulley sector, said ilexible connection engaging the periphery of said pulley sector, and a connection from said lever to said pulley sector for rotating said pulley sector to withdraw the horn from between the shoe and the last during the seating of the last.

6. A relasting machine comprising a support for the heel portion of the bottom of a shoe into which a last has been partially inserted, an abutment engageable with the top surface of the rear portion of the last, a treadle-operated mechanism for moving the abutment toward the support to seat the last in the shoe, a horn adapted to be interposed between the heel end of the shoe upper and the last to assist in seating the last within the shoe, a pulley sector, a flexible relatively inextensible connection attached at one end to said horn and at the other end to said sector, said flexible connection engaging the pe-A riphery of said sector, an arm mounted for swinging movement about the axis of ysaid sector, a connection between said arm and said sector constructed and arranged for adjustment ofy the angular relation between said arm and said sector about said axis, and a connection between said arm and said treadle-operated mechanism for moving the sector to withdrawv the horn fromvbetween the shoe and the last during the seating of the last within the shoe. 'f 7. A relasting machine comprising a support for the heel portion of the bottom of a shoe into which a last has been partially inserted, an abutment engageable with the top surface of the rear portion of the last, a lever, a treadle,`a connection from said treadle for operating said lever, a connection from said lever to said abutment for moving the abutment toward the support upon depression of the treadle to seat the last in the shoe, a horn adapted to be interposed between the heel end of the shoe upper and the last to assist in seating the last within the shoe, and means operated by said lever upon depression of the treadle to withdraw the horn from between the shoe and the last during the seating oi' the last.

8. A relasting machine comprising a support for the heel portion of the bottom of a shoe into which a last has been partially inserted, an abutment engageable with the top surface of the rear portion of the last, a lever, a treadle, a connection from said treadle for operating said lever, a connection from said lever to said abutment for moving the abutment toward the sup-port upon depression of the treadle to seat the last in the shoe, a hornadapted to be interposed between the heel end of the shoe upper and the last to assist in seating the last within the shoe, a second lever, a connection between said second lever and said horn, and aconnection between said levers attached yadjustably along the length of one of said levers for causing the horn to be withdrawn from between the shoe and the last during the seating of the last.

9. A relasting machine comprising a support for theheel portion of the bottom of a shoe into which a last has been partially inserted, an abutment engageable with the top surface of the rear portion of the last, a lever, a treadle, a connection from said treadle for operating said lever, a connection from said lever to said abutment for moving the abutment toward the support upon depression of the treadle to seat the last in the shoe, and a supporting link carrying a fulcrum for said lever, said lever being constructed and arranged to be mounted on said ulcrum at various positions along the length of the lever to vary the mechanical advantage as desired.

*10. A relasting machine comprising a pair of members engageable respectively with the heel portion of the bottom of a shoe into which a last has been partially inserted and with the top surface of the rear portion of the last, a pivotal support for each of said members, and means operating through said pivotal supports for exerting a relative compression between said members to force the last into the shoe, said last-engageable member having a pair of lugs engageable with the opposite sides of the last to prevent relative lateral movement between the last and the abutment.

11. A relasting machine comprising a pair of members engageable respectively with the heel portion of the bottom of a shoe into which a last has been partially inserted and with the top surface of the rear portion of the last, means for exerting a relative compression between said members to force the last into the shoe, and resilient means for yieldably holding said shoe-engagealole member in a normal position from which said member can tilt about an axis transverse with respect to the shoe to accommodate tilting movements of the shoe during the relasting operation.

12. A relasting machine comprising a frame adapted to rest upon the oor, a head adjustable heightwise on said frame, relasting mechanism carried by said head, an operating rod depending from said mechanism, abutments on said head and said rod respectively, a spring between said abutments for holding said mechanism in a position of readiness for operation, a treadle fulcrumed in the base of said frame, a rod extending upwardly from said treadle, and means l0- oated below the abutment on said operating rod for adjustably connecting said rods to provide a desired combined elective length of said rods to accommodate heightwise adjustment of the head without affecting the force of the spring.

HERBERT J. WILLMOTT. 

